Foodways of Africa
This page features a small selection of UConn library and external resources to support learning and research pertaining to Foodways in Africa. This list is meant to be exploratory and is not a comprehensive representation or list of the library's holdings.
For additional assistance, please contact Samuel Boss, at samuel.boss@uconn.edu.
From the UConn Library Collection
After Eden: the behavioral ecology of early food production in the Near East and North Africa by Call Number: GN407 .R87 1988ISBN: 9780860545057Publication Date: 1988-01-01
Food Culture in the near East, Middle East, and North Africa by
The similar cuisines of the Near East, Middle East, and North Africa stem from ancient cultures and variable climates, ranging from Mediterranean to desert. The major monotheistic religions developed in the Middle East, and students and other readers will learn how religious strictures on food and drink continue to play an important role in eating habits there today for Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Most of the population in the regions is Arab, and therefore the emphasis in this volume is mainly on the Arab Muslim food cultures. The impact of colonialism, globalization, and modernization of the foodways is also discussed in the topical chapters. This thorough overview provides huge insight into the lives of everyday people in the regions through their food culture. One chapter describes the major foodstuffs and how they are used. Another discusses gender roles and cooking, the use of cookbooks, and details the typical kitchen and its contents, from appliances to utensils. A chapter on typical meals shows the daily rituals of the various peoples. The Eating Out chapter provides a fascinating look at the workings and décor of small, traditional restaurants, the popularity of picnics, and more. Next, food in the context of religious holidays and life-cycle celebrations is discussed. Finally, traditional folk and modern beliefs about diet and health round out the coverage.
Call Number: GT2853.M628 H45 2004ISBN: 9780313329562Publication Date: 2004-12-30
GMOs, consumerism and the global politics of biotechnology : rethinking food, bodies and identities in Africa's 21st century by
"Despite sustained continental and national struggles for autonomy, sovereignty and independence in postcolonial Africa, the continent is increasingly embattled by the forces of globalisation which threaten African identity that is at the core of African struggles for continental and national unity. Situating the debates in the contemporary discourses on decoloniality, global consumerism, global food apartheid and the challenges and prospects of the emergent sharing economies, this book critically examines the importation, use and implications of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and other such non-food products on African bodies, institutions and cultures. The book poses questions about how Africa can be decolonised both politically and in terms of global food apartheid and the dehumanising importation and use of'foreign'non-food products, some of which militate against the ethos of [African] identity, Renaissance and indigeneity. On note, the book urges the African continent to ensure the safety of imports ensuing from the global flows and circulations that are mired in the resilient invisible global matrices of power"--Back cover
Call Number: eBookISBN: 9789956763214Publication Date: 2017
High on the Hog: a culinary journey from Africa to America. by
New York Times bestsellerFrom the Winner of the James Beard Lifetime Achievement AwardNow a Netflix Original SeriesThe grande dame of African American cookbooks and winner of the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award stakes her claim as a culinary historian with a narrative history of African American cuisine.Acclaimed cookbook author Jessica B. Harris has spent much of her life researching the food and foodways of the African Diaspora. High on the Hog is the culmination of years of her work, and the result is a most engaging history of African American cuisine. Harris takes the reader on a harrowing journey from Africa across the Atlantic to America, tracking the trials that the people and the food have undergone along the way. From chitlins and ham hocks to fried chicken and vegan soul, Harris celebrates the delicious and restorative foods of the African American experience and details how each came to form such an important part of African American culture, history, and identity. Although the story of African cuisine in America begins with slavery, High on the Hog ultimately chronicles a thrilling history of triumph and survival. The work of a masterful storyteller and an acclaimed scholar, Jessica B. Harris's High on the Hog fills an important gap in our culinary history.
Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781608191277Publication Date: 2011-01-11
Life Histories of the Dobe !Kung: food, fatness, and well-being over the life span by
Life Histories of the Dobe !Kung re-examines an important anthropological data set for the Dobe !Kung, the well-known "Bushmen" of the Kalahari Desert, collected by Nancy Howell and colleagues. Using life history analysis, Howell reinterprets this rich material to address the question of how these hunter-gatherers maintain their notably good health from childhood through old age in the Kalahari's harsh environment. She divides the population into life history stages that correlate with estimated chronological ages and demonstrates how and why they survive, even thrive, on a modest allotment of calories. She describes how surplus food is produced and distributed, and she considers both the motives for the generous sharing she has observed among the Dobe !Kung and some evolutionary implications of that behavior.
Call Number: DT1058.K86 H7 2010ISBN: 9780520262348Publication Date: 2010-05-06
The South African culinary tradition : the origin of South Africa's culinary arts during the 17th and 18th centuries, and 167 authentic recipes of this period by
A well-illustrated and researched text describes the food customs, food history, and food habits of the original South African settlers and their descendents (Afrikaners). The text, richly imbued with the romanticism of South African culinary art of the 17th and 18th centuries, presents antique recipes in today's language. The recipes use current units of measure while retaining their original character and unique charm. South African history on culture, food customs, and old Cape cookery, are emphasized throughout a colorful text.
Call Number: TX725.S6 C6ISBN: 0869770837Publication Date: 1977
Yam in West Africa: food, money, and more by
Yam in West Africa examines a crop that has been sidelined and ignored for too long while being central to the existence of so many and consumed worldwide. In this book, Felix Nweke attempts to unravel the contradictory nature of the yam crop sector in West Africa by looking at the largest issues in the problematic industry. Yam production is concentrated in West Africa, which is responsible for more than 90 percent of the 50 million tons produced annually around the globe. Though the crop can attract high prices, too often its producers live in penury. Regional issues drive up labor costs of food crops because of dependence on obsolete technology. In addition, certain agronomic practices that are peculiar to yam production remain unchanged, and pests and diseases still ravage the crop. Yam in West Africa investigates solutions to these problems with the aim of expanding yam production, increasing sales, helping farmers, and bringing more of this staple food to those who need it. The future of the yam is bright; this book aims to make it more so.
Call Number: eBookISBN: 9781609174743Publication Date: 2015-12-01
